A U.S. citizen and a Ukrainian citizen were planning the assassination of incumbent Minister of Agrarian Policy Roman Leschenko in connection with his activities in 2018, Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky has said.

At a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday, the Interior Minister said that the police were checking information that a Ukrainian citizen and a U.S. citizen were preparing an attempted murder of a man who was a collector and extorted funds. This crime was solved and later it turned out that these same people were planning an attempt on Leschenko.

"The person from whom they tried to take away the property - Roman Leschenko ... this [attempted murder] is associated with his activities in 2018 ... The U.S. citizen had to leave, the crime had to be committed after his departure," said Monastyrsky.

In turn, head of the National Police Ihor Klymenko clarified that the U.S. citizen was the main mastermind of the murder of Leschenko. He and other detained citizens of Ukraine are charged with kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder.

Answering a question about the motive for the order, the head of the National Police said: "First, it's money."

According to the minister, law enforcement officers staged a fake murder and sent video and photos to the masterminds.

The masterminds came to the house to make sure the order was fulfilled.